


the doll maker

by iseemikimouse



Series: On the twelve days of Christmas... [3]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, doll maker!minho, doll!felix, doll!hyunjin, god!seungmin, minho is attached to his dolls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28357437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iseemikimouse/pseuds/iseemikimouse
Summary: Each doll must be perfect and he will make them perfect. After all who knows who’s buying his dolls.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin & Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Lee Felix & Lee Minho | Lee Know
Series: On the twelve days of Christmas... [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073474
Comments: 15
Kudos: 41





	the doll maker

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy!

They say if you look on the corner of Fourth Street and Magic Avenue there’s a magic shop in the corner almost hidden from view. It’s a small shop with large windows to peer in and worn down bricks that look older than the city.

But how does this shop in the corner of Fourth Street and Magic Avenue seem to have magic? 

But the dolls of course. 

The little shop in the corner is nothing more than an old doll shop that has been passed down by generations of Lee’s, Lee Minho being the current owner. For years the Lee family has crafted beautiful dolls that have been rumored to come to life for their owners. But no one has been able to prove it. The customers of their shop hide their magical dolls from the rest of the world in a selfish desire to protect them. 

But is it protection from the outside world or greed? 

No one knows. Not even Minho. 

These thoughts pass through his head as he sets his tools down in the table and stares at the doll in front of him. It’s taken him a long time in order to perfect this doll, with beautiful golden locks, hot chocolate brown eyes, and a small beauty mark under his left eye.

He smiles to himself as he wipes the sweat of his brow. This doll is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful in all of the details and pieces. He crafted each piece delicately, not wanting to break what he deemed to already be the perfect doll he’s created. 

He almost doesn’t want to sell him but he must. It’s the first rule that was drilled into his head all those years ago. He must not keep his dolls for himself. At least not the ones he gives a name too and this doll already had a name. 

_ Hyunjin _ . 

Minho sighs as he leans back into his chair, keeping on eye on the doll before a quiet “Hyunjin” rolls off his lips. He watches with rapt attention as the doll continues to keep himself straight before one of the fingers moves. 

Two fingers, now three and four. 

Hyunjin blinks and his smile falls. 

Brown eyes blink as small porcelain limbs begin to fall into a more normal stance. 

Hyunjin tilts his head and Minho smiles. He’s alive. 

“Hello Hyunjinnie,” Minho says, his voice filled with warmth. 

Hyunjin spins around on the table, his eyes filled with amazement as he takes a couple of steps. 

“I can move,” Hyunjin whispers, his voice very small. His eyes widened. “And I can talk.”

Minho laughs. “Of course you can. I am the Doll Maker after all.” 

A laugh bubbles out of Hyunjin’s mouth and it’s enough for Minho to fall a little bit in love. He knows that he shouldn’t love his dolls, but he does. It’s a trait his entire family deals with. A trait that no one has been able to break. As much as he wants to be the first person to break that trait, he knows that he’s not. Once Hyunjin leaves the shop to his forever home, he’ll take a piece of Minho’s heart with him never to return it. 

He watches as Hyunjin continues to move about, playing with the limits of his body for the better part of the night and it’s not until he feels tiny hands against his cheeks that he realizes he’s fallen asleep at his work bench again. 

Hyunjin looks at him with sad eyes before giving a bright smile to the doll maker. 

“It’s time, isn't it?” The doll questions. 

Minho doesn’t say anything and only picks Hyunjin up. He goes to the front of the store where the other dolls are still moving and whispering quietly. Some of them look at the two of them while most of them keep their eyes away. Minho once again wonders if his dolls resent the fact he created them. 

Very quietly so as not to disturb the conversations taking place, he places Hyunjin on one of the shelves with another doll named Felix. He looks at Felix and smiles at him, using his index finger to pat the other doll’s head. 

This doll, Felix, is very special to him, just like Hyunjin is. Special in the way that he created him. Very delicately and much to perfection. While he does that to all of his dolls, both Hyunjin and Felix have been done a little differently. Both were created with a little more love and time than the rest and honestly speaking, if someone bought either one of them, Minho doesn’t know how much he would break. 

“This is Hyunjin, Felix. Please treat him kindly,” says Minho. Felix nods his head and grins at Hyunjin. 

Minho clears his throat. “The sign will be flipped soon. If you’re not in your proper place now. I would start making your way over to it. It’s Christmas, my beautiful creations, which means most if not all of you will be finding forever homes. Smile today!” 

He doesn’t wait for the chorus of yeses that he knows will come nor does he wait for the sad eyes his dolls will give him. He just turns on his heel and enters the back room to get ready for the day. 

He is grateful for shower the shop has, once again mentally clapping his great grandfather for having an amazing idea in the remodel. Stepping into the shower, Lee Minho prepares himself for the day. 

The day bleeds into the next and the next until time passes in the blink of an eye. Every day is the same as when people come in, look at his dolls before purchasing them. With every doll that leaves, a piece of Minho withers like a dying flower. He waves to his leaving creations who send watery smiles and air kisses to him. Minho never cries during the day. 

Time passes until it’s Christmas Eve with the snow gently falling against the ground. He peers out the window, a hum on his lips as he watches the dance of snowflakes taking to the air. What a beautiful sight. 

The door creaks open taking Minho’s gaze away from the twirling snowflakes and lands on a man. A man with cherry red hair and rosy cheeks to match. He looks warm and snug in his padded coat, his eyes filled with childish wonder as he looks around the shop. 

Minho can already feel his heart breaking but he gives the man a smile. 

“Hello,” he says. “Is there anything I can help you look for today?” 

The man shakes his head, his eyes landing on Minho. “I’m just looking,” he says, his voice breathy like he was running before he got to the shop. 

Something turns in Minho’s stomach but it’s not the usual feeling of sadness. Instead, it’s something else. Something he can’t put his fingers on. Something foreign. He licks his lips. 

“Then let me know if there’s anything.” 

“I will.” 

The man wanders around the store taking everything in. He doesn’t touch in, most likely in fear of breaking the delicate dolls but Minho can see the questions in his eyes. He knows the questions the man wants to ask but he’ll never speak first. He’ll let the cherry haired man look around and then ask his questions. 

It doesn’t take long for that moment to happen and when it does, Minho is ready. 

“They’re so life-like,” the man says. “And the magic in the air is heavy. You’ve done a wonderful job in creating and perfecting them.” 

What? 

“Who would have thought that this old unused ley line would be used in such a manner.” 

What? 

“And for years. It’s beautiful,” the man says his eyes shinning brightly. “Tell me, does the magic stay even after the dolls leave the shop or does it go away?” 

_ What? _

“It stays,” Minho stammers out. “I’ve been taught to keep the magic alive even after they leave the shop.”

“And the price?” 

The Doll Maker smiles sadly and shakes his head, the surprise of the conversation slowly ebbing away. He should have guessed what this man was the moment he saw those bright green eyes but the truth eluded him. 

“What is the price?” The man asks again. 

Minho sighs. “Love,” he says. “When we make our pieces we fall in love with them. We cannot keep them and must give them forever homes.”

“Oh a love curse?” The man says. “What happens when they get bought?” 

“A piece of us breaks.”

The man looks thoughtful for a moment before his alright shining eyes grows brighter. “I see. Then can I ask, which pieces are the ones you love the most?” 

Minho blinks a couple of times before breaking out into a small giggle, a little offended at the question. “I love all of my dolls. Each one I have crafted to perfection and with so much love. I do not have a favorite.” 

The man taps his chin. “I do not mean to offend but perhaps I worded my question wrong. I can tell that with each doll you’ve created, you’ve done just as you told me. Each piece you create was done in a delicate manner. A manner in which has brought your dolls to life but I ask which one would be the most difficult to give up. The one you would spend the most agonizing minutes as you prepare the box for the child that wants them?” 

The smile on Minho’s face drops at the man’s wording. His hands that are placed on the counter curl into fists as he shakes his head. “I don’t have one,” he says half truthfully. 

He doesn’t mean to glance over where Hyunjin and Felix are watching, their eyes unmoving with frowns on their faces. He looks away and to the strange green eyed man. 

“I see,” the man says once more. “Then I shall continue to look around before making my purchase.” 

“Please.” 

Minho watches the green eyed man, his mind telling him that this man is not a witch. If he’s not a witch, then what is he? And how does he know about the ley lines? Minho’s family may not be proper witches, but they are aware of the ley lines. They do know how to use the sources of magic in order to have their dolls move and speak, but most of the time, it’s a hidden rule not to talk about the actual magic taking place. No one must know about the magic...

And yet this man with green eyes does. 

How odd. 

“Oh,” says the man. “I think I know who I would like to purchase.” 

Minho pastes on a smile and nods. “What will it be?” 

The man points to the dolls and everything in Minho’s heart shatters. He tries not to let the facade of happiness fall. It mustn’t. Silently, he picks up the dolls off the shelf and places them on the counter. 

“This one?” 

“And the one next to it. I would like both of them, please and thank you.” 

Two? This man wants two of his dolls? He can already feel the gazes of the last couple of dolls in the room. He can feel their helpless gazes as they watch their creator place his two most precious creations in a box. He doesn’t allow the tear in his heart to become known even as the motions of packing his dolls comes natural to him and even when the green eyed man looks at him with shining eyes. He doesn’t break until he flips his sign to ‘Closed’ and shuts off all the lights. He finally breaks when the door to the workshop is neatly closed and locked. 

He screams then, his heart finally shattering completely. 

They say that in the corner of Fourth Street and Magic Avenue there’s a magic shop. A magic shop full of dolls that move and speak. A shop where the doll maker smiles warmly and breaks down when people buy his dolls. No one is sure what happens in the shop only that the dolls bought in the old shop move. 

Will you buy one of his dolls? 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It’s snowing on Christmas Eve when the door opens. It’s almost reminiscent of the day that Minho fully broke. It’s been two years since that day but nothing has changed. He still creates his dolls and still uses the magic of the ley lines. Children still come with their parents and grandparents holding onto their hands as they look at the dolls, each child choosing their own. 

The dolls still walk and talk with each other and still whisper when they don’t think Minho is looking. 

(However, it’s not like Minho thinks. It never was like Minho thinks. They don’t dare to look at Minho because they never want to see the face of their maker. They don’t want to see the man break down after every purchase. Instead, they want to see the smiling face of the man who created him. The smile that would tell them that he's truly happy. 

They long for that day. 

At the sound of the door bell, all eyes turn to the door to see who will break their creator’s heart once more only to fully stare.

Smiles begin to fill the room. This time maybe it won’t happen.)

Minho stares at the men who have just come into his shop. His greeting falls from his mouth as he stares at the green eyed man from a couple of years ago. 

“It’s nice to you again,” he lies. “I hope the dos are keeping up nicely.” 

The green eyed man doesn’t say anything. He only smiles and gestures to the men who came in with him. Minho finally looks at them, his heart and his mind stilling. 

The first man has blond hair that almost looks white. His face looks gently carved like someone spent hours making sure his face was perfect. Even the freckles on the man’s nose scream perfection. 

The man’s arm is linked with another man’s arm who Minho looks at with amazement and wonder. The second man is taller than the first with long blond hair. He’s slim and looks delicately put together. Even the beauty mark under his left eye looks delicate. 

Minho cries that day, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he rushes to the two men and wrapping his arms around them. He sobs into their shoulders as the green eyed man leaves the shop. 

He smiles to himself as he walks down the snow lined walkway, patting himself on the back. 

“You did good Seungmin,” he tells himself. “You’ve watched over the Lee’s again and gave happiness to the Doll Maker.” 

Seungmin glances at the doll shop on the corner of Fourth Street and Magic Avenue with a wide smile on his face. Now he can sleep until the next shop owner is born. After all, he is the real owner of the shop and a god must watch over his subjects. 

Seungmin disappears with a smile on face.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a bit odd, I know but it was fun to write. And yes, the dolls bought by seungmin is Felix and Hyunjin and yes it was them who came back. The theme song of this is fic is most probably still doll by Kanon Wakashima. Just so you know Dndnd.  
> twt: @iseemikimouse


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